Spool
by hummerhouse
Summary: Mikey is in some serious trouble and ends up with a view of the East River that some people would die for; he just hopes he isn't one of them. How did he get there and how will he get out? Mild TCest, language and violence. Chaptered short story. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Spool  
>part 1<p>

Michelangelo was desperately trying to stay awake. He did not want to pass out before his brothers came to his rescue. That would be too embarrassing.

Getting himself into this mess had been exceedingly simple, not that he was actually trying. His plan for the evening hadn't included hanging from a bridge like a giant fish waiting to be gutted and dried.

Damn Foot ninjas. They sure were getting a lot better at tying knots. Mikey had tried pulling at the ropes after the Foot had tied his wrists to the bridge cable; leaving him dangling. There was absolutely no play in the bindings, and now his hands were growing kind of numb.

Hanging his nunchucks on the cable next to his arm was supposed to be an added insult, but Mikey was glad they were there, even if he couldn't reach them. At least the Foot hadn't tossed them into the water as they had done with his shell cell.

It had surprised Mikey when one of them had laughed and chunked the phone into the murky water so far beneath his feet. The Turtle ninja was sure he was hung out like this as a trap to lure his family to attempt a rescue.

His face must have shown his surprise, because the Foot soldier who'd laughed told him, "We can catch the others any time we wish, just as we caught you. Our mistress wants to send a message to your brother Leonardo. Your dead body will say everything she needs for him to hear."

What those idiots had no way of knowing was that Donatello had waterproofed that phone. Seriously – duh! They lived in a sewer; chances of the shell cell getting wet at some point? One hundred percent.

The tracker inside the shell cell would beep underwater just as well as above, but he bit his own tongue against the urge to shove that fact in their faces. They might decide to move him then, and he seriously wanted to be rescued.

Mikey just hoped that there was enough battery life in his phone to guide his brothers to his location.

He hoped that there was enough battery life left in him as well, 'cause he felt like hammered shit, as Raphael liked to say. He'd made sure those Foot ninjas knew they'd been in a fight before they got him though. Mikey had taken quite a beating prior to succumbing to the sheer volume of his attackers.

Mikey coughed and a gut wrenching pain shot through his side. A small amount of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto his plastron. That was probably not a good sign.

At least most of the blows he'd received were to his body, Mikey thought with optimism. If he was gonna die, he wanted to go out looking good.

Shell, speaking of going out, why had he been so determined to do that this night? Hadn't Leo warned him; hadn't Leo been warning them all that Karai was on a rampage?

It was all Leo's fault really. They had entered a fairly peaceful period there for a while; she was too busy building her father's legacy to bother with them, and the Turtles were too busy trying to rebuild their home.

They were also too busy discovering their hormones and a newfound attraction to each other to be bothered by Karai's obsessions.

Until during one of Leo's nightly runs he had seen the statue of Oroku Saki that had been erected in central park. All of the brothers knew Leo had a temper that could equal Raph's; it was just that Leo could normally manage to keep his under control.

Not that night. Leo had snapped just long enough to completely destroy the statue with his katanas.

He had to have known that when Karai discovered the destruction she would investigate. Leo had to have known that Karai would know immediately what type of weapon had been used to cut the stone into little pieces.

A week and a half later and the family was still dodging the massive numbers of Foot ninja that were being unleashed on the rooftops at night. April and Casey were being watched again and all because of Leo's sense of honor.

Raph was pissed and wasn't missing any opportunities to tell Leo what he thought about having to stay underground so much. He was also rubbing it in Leo's face that the eldest hadn't been able to keep his temper under his famous control.

Leo's temper was sure being put to the test again by that. Mikey understood though; he really, really did. He spent most of those nights in Leo's bed just to make up for Raph's razzing, and he also told Leo that it was his right as clan leader to do what he saw fit about the stupid statue.

Mikey still believed that, despite the situation he currently found himself in. He was really worried though that Leo might snap again if Mikey were to die. In fact, he knew Leo would lose it if Mikey didn't survive.

Lifting his head, Mikey looked around. The stupid Foot ninjas were standing on top of the bridge to his left, just staring at him. Karai must have told them to watch his suffering so she could describe it to Leo. That was the type of perverted thing she was getting off to these days.

The effort to look up made him dizzy, so Mikey let his chin drop down to his plastron again. He tried shifting his arms a bit; he even attempted a pull-up just to keep the circulation going. As soon as he moved though, that sharp pain in his side came back and the world started spinning.

_"If I cease to function," _Mikey thought with a little internal laugh at his own humorous phrasing, _"Leo is gonna kill Karai. So I better not cease to function."_

Raph wanted Leo to kill Karai. Shell, Raph wanted to kill Karai, but he couldn't. Killing a clan leader was the job of another clan leader. Leo had to do it, and he wouldn't.

Amend that, Leo wouldn't kill Karai as long as Mikey stayed alive. That was added motivation for Mike to make it through this ordeal in one piece. 'Cause killing Karai would destroy the Leonardo that Mikey loved.

Mikey's head was starting to throb and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He let them drift closed for a few minutes; then snapped his head up and blinked.

_"No sleeping on the job Michelangelo,"_ he berated himself.

Wiggling his toes helped a little; the action didn't make the pain in his side any worse; and it helped to distract him from the need to just nod off. If Raph had to crawl out on this cable, cut him down and carry him back to safety, Mikey would _never_ hear the end of it.

After all, Mikey was out here because he had sworn up one side of a stack of comic books and down the other that he would stay out of trouble if Leo let him go out for just a bit.

And that was how this whole fiasco had begun. With Mikey begging.

Spool part 2


	2. Chapter 2

Spool  
>part 2<p>

"Please Leo. I'll be super, ultra careful. I promise," Mikey begged, hopping from one foot to the next as he followed Leo into the dojo.

"No Mikey," Leo said shortly. He scooped up a handful of arrows and sat on the end of the weight bench to examine them, setting aside the ones in need of repair.

Mikey stood in front of him, arms akimbo as he stared at Leo's lowered head. He couldn't use his most potent weapon on his oldest brother if he couldn't get Leo to look up.

"It's not for me, Leo. It's for Klunk. My baby is almost out of dry food and his favorite canned stuff is gone. I gotta go get some more," Mikey told the top of Leo's head.

"Michelangelo, 'almost out' means there is enough food for the cat right now. April said she'd do some marketing for us and then leave the food in the tunnel tomorrow night. You and Klunk can both wait," Leo said without lifting his head.

Mikey rolled his eyes and let out a long, suffering sigh. "April never gets the flavors Klunk likes best. She just grabs anything and we still have seven cans of the stuff she got last time that Klunk refuses to touch. I'm thinking about using them to make a meatloaf for you guys."

That got Leo to look up. Mikey grinned and opened his blue eyes wide.

"I never know whether to believe you or not when you say things like that Mikey," Leo said, pursing his mouth slightly. "I certainly wouldn't put it past you to do it, but I really suggest that you don't. I'm pretty sure Master Splinter wouldn't see the humor in it."

"Neither would I, ya' little nut ball," Raph said. On the other side of the room, he was working on a repair job of his own, mending the rips in his punching bag.

Mikey didn't bother to look over at Raph. Having captured Leo's gaze finally, he wasn't going to risk letting his brother escape his mesmerizing stare.

"Look Leo," Mikey said in his most adult tone, "I can go straight to the bodega, grab what I need in about five minutes and be back in less than thirty. I'll wear a hat and trench coat the entire time. You know Jesse doesn't even look at us anymore 'cause we always just toss him some bills and leave. He's getting rich off of us overpaying for everything."

"That is exactly part of the problem I'm trying to avoid," Leo told him. "Jesse is used to us which means we go to that bodega a lot. Our patterns are becoming predictable."

"I know you're obsessed with trying to outguess Karai dude, but really? Now she's going to stake out bodegas? How would she even know that we go shopping? If she had ever once noticed any of us on the street she'd attack without waiting to see where we were going," Mikey said.

"He's right about that Leo," Raph tossed out. "She looks for us on the rooftops, not down in the street and certainly not strolling through a well-lit bodega."

"She wouldn't think we'd be right out in the open bro'. Karai's expecting us to stay hidden," Mikey added.

Mikey could almost see the wheels in Leo's head turning, even though Leo's face was a complete mask. There was a temporary truce going on between him and Raph; one that had their leader walking a tightrope to maintain.

Raph had just thrown his hat into Mikey's corner of the argument; which meant that he was challenging Leo. Normally, Mikey wouldn't have wanted Raph's assistance in a discussion of this sort with Leo, but right now that was gonna work to his advantage.

Mikey had backed Leo into a corner and his bro' knew it. If Leo continued to say no, Raph would start to get angry again about having to stay confined to the lair because of something Leo had done in a fit of temper.

If Mikey offered a compromise of having someone go with him, Leo would have to send Raph. No way would Raph sit back and stay quiet about being stuck at home while one of the other brothers escorted Mikey topside.

And if Raph went to the surface, there was no guarantee as to how long he'd be gone.

True, there were numerous other alternatives that Leo could come up with but they pretty much all ended the same – with either Raph pissed and yelling; or Raph on the surface and disappearing.

Mikey allowed the tiniest little smile to curve the corners of his mouth. Leo was a great battlefield tactician, but Mikey understood group dynamics and individual motivations better than any of his brothers did. Waiting to pounce on Leo with his request until a time when he knew Raph would be in the same room had _totally_ been planned.

"It's still a big chance to take for something you don't really need Mikey," Leo said in a last ditch effort to keep him at home.

Taking a step closer, Mikey dropped to one knee, all while holding Leo's eyes with his own.

"I know it's hard to explain bro', but Klunk is kinda important to me. I hate when he looks at me all expectantly and I haven't got what he wants," Mikey told him.

Raph muttered, "Damn spoiled cat."

Neither Mikey or Leo spared him a glance. Mikey let the fingertips of one hand lightly caress Leo's knee. It was a somewhat manipulative gesture because Mikey knew how much Leo loved his touch.

Leo's eyes softened. "If I let you go out, do you promise to go straight to the bodega and come straight back? No fooling around?"

"Absolutely," Mikey promised. "Inside of an hour. That'll allow time in case I have to wait for any crowds to clear."

"You'll stay completely alert?" Leo asked.

Mikey laughed. "Yeah dude, completely. I'll be the picture of perfect focus."

Leo swiped a hand across his forehead. "This is so against my better judgment, but you can go. Take your shell cell and call when you reach the bodega and when you're on your way back."

"What, ya' ain't got a time clock for him ta punch?" Raph asked sarcastically.

"Thanks Leo! You're my favorite brother," Mikey planted a kiss on Leo's mouth before jumping up and running out of the dojo.

Raph's snort followed him out the door.

Mikey darted into Don's lab quickly and grabbed his shell cell off of the charger. Don didn't glance up from his laptop but his voice stopped Mikey for a second.

"Were you going somewhere Michelangelo?" Don asked.

"Yeah. And I already cleared it with Leo, watchdog," Mikey said with a big grin.

"I am not a watchdog," Don said, glancing at Mikey over his shoulder.

Mikey laughed. "You so are dude. Why else would you have umpteen-thousand cameras scattered all over the place?"

"That's for our protection Mikey. Would you rather the Foot sneak up on us?" Don asked.

Mikey waved a hand at him and moved towards the door. "You are starting to take things way too seriously bro'. Why don't you grab Raph and get laid?"

"What's wrong with my grabbing Leo?" Don tossed back at him, starting to grin.

"Uh, uh. Not tonight Donny boy. I'm gonna reward Leo later for trusting me enough to let me go out on my own," Mikey told him.

He didn't wait for Don's retort. Mikey didn't think Leo would change his mind, but he wasn't taking any chances. There was no telling what his two brothers in the dojo were saying to each other right now and Mikey didn't want to get called back because a fight had broken out.

Mikey glanced at the clock that hung above the kitchen door as he ran past. It was a little after ten, so he was right on time.

The kid who was gonna meet him down the street from the bodega said he'd be there between ten-fifteen and ten-thirty. Shawn was pretty reliable, so Mikey picked up the pace.

He was excited. The newest Justice Force comic was out and it was a double issue. The first printing was going to be limited and Mikey knew he wouldn't get his hands on one if he didn't call his contact.

Shawn had called him back pretty quickly and said he'd managed to snag three. He was willing to let Mikey have one for double the face value, which was a bargain as far as the orange banded Turtle was concerned.

The only trick was getting past Leo's ban on going out. Mikey had kind of stretched the truth about Klunk's food, because his cat could manage to survive on the dry stuff. But Mikey wanted that comic; Mikey needed that comic.

All's fair in love and war and the acquisition of comic books as far as Michelangelo was concerned.

Mikey tugged his trench coat on and donned his hat before climbing the ladder from the sewers to the surface, emerging about a half mile from his destination. From the deep shadows of an alley, Mikey searched the street carefully before stepping to the sidewalk.

He saw Shawn standing on the corner waiting for him. Mikey was practically on top of the kid before Shawn saw him.

"Gah!" Shawn yelped and jumped. "Shit Mike, why do you always do that?"

"Force of habit," Mikey said with a wide grin. "You got it?"

Shawn nodded and handed the comic to Mikey. The kid had placed it in a protective plastic covering and Mikey turned it so the street light could hit the front.

"Wow," Mikey breathed out his excitement.

"Yeah man, I read mine already. I got the other wrapped up tight and I ain't gonna ever open that one," Shawn said. "This is a fucking fantastic epic comic."

"You're too young to curse Shawn," Mikey admonished the fourteen-year old. He reached into his pocket for his money and handed the kid some bills.

Shawn thrust the money into his jeans, not bothering to count it. One thing he'd come to understand about his strange green friend Mike was that the guy was completely honest.

"So I'm gonna head home before my mom discovers I snuck out the window," Shawn told him.

Mikey's eyes were still glued to the comic book. "I gotta hit the bodega and get back home myself before my brother sends the army after me."

"Mike, your brother's worse than my old man." Shawn laughed as he started down the sidewalk. "Whoa," he said suddenly. "Where'd all the weirdo's come from? It must be a flash party or something."

Mikey finally looked up and turned his head to follow Shawn's line of sight. Stretched across the street behind him was a row of Foot ninja.

"Shell," Mikey said in a low undertone. Twisting his head back to Shawn, he told the kid, "Run Shawn, as fast as you can dude. Go straight home and lock yourself in."

"M…Mike? What's wrong man?" Shawn asked; his voice lifting one octave.

"I'll call you later, Shawn. Just go, go now," Mikey said. The Foot started moving in their direction and Mikey yelled, "Go!"

Shawn almost tripped as he spun around and started running. Mikey tucked his comic book into a pocket and reached down to untie the belt on his trench coat as he slowly backed away from the Foot ninjas.

His hands came down on the reassuring wood of his nunchucks and he pulled them from his belt. A sound to his right made him turn his head sharply. Another row of Foot ninjas were fanning out to intercept him.

Mikey saw that Shawn had gotten away and was glad of that. The Foot weren't interested in the kid; just Mikey.

The nunchucks were spinning in Mikey's hands before he even had a conscious thought about it. Mikey decided he was really going to have to start listening to Leo when his brother said going topside wasn't safe.

Mikey hoped like crazy he'd have the chance to hear his brother's voice again.

Spool part 3


	3. Chapter 3

Spool  
>part 3<p>

". . .five, eight, twelve, fourteen, sixteen, nineteen, twenty-two. _Twenty-two_," Mikey counted under his breath as he kept his nunchakus spinning and continued to move away from the Foot ninjas who were tracking him.

Calling for help would have been a mighty great plan right about now, only he had to have a free hand to use the shell cell, and Mikey was not about to lower either of his weapons.

"I think you guys are lost. Aren't you supposed to be on a roof somewhere?" Mikey asked as his eyes searched for an escape route.

"It's the Turtle with the funny mouth," one of the ninjas told his fellows.

"Hey, my mouth is not funny," Mikey said; shifting as they started to try circling him. "It has perfect symmetry. If you mean you find me amusing, I do know some great knock, knock jokes if you guys want to sit down and get comfortable while I tell 'em."

"No chance of that, green freak. The mistress has very specific orders for your capture," the ninja told him.

"Since you know I'm a turtle, why don't you say turtle? Green freak is so derogatory. Don't they teach political correctness in ninja school?" Mikey asked.

He was stalling for time as he crept backwards. Mikey remembered seeing an alley to his left, and one of the buildings lining it housed a printing office. He was pretty sure there would be a fire escape attached to it.

"The first thing I'm going to do is cut out its tongue," one of the ninjas said.

Raph would have rushed them, punching his way straight down the middle, relying on brute strength and the fact that he was pretty much psycho in a fight. Leo would have already calculated their weaknesses just by watching them move and then he'd have gone for the weak link in the chain.

Donny . . . well, shell, Donny wouldn't even be in this situation. He was too smart. But if he was, he'd pull something out of his bag of tricks that would have them all on their knees in a matter of seconds.

Mikey's eyes narrowed. None of those was his style. He much preferred avoiding the fight completely if at all possible.

Bag of tricks. Yeah, Mikey had a few of his own. Seeing how close he was to the alley entrance, and how much more quickly the Foot were moving towards him, Mikey knew it was time to unleash one of those tricks.

With viper quick speed, Mikey tucked his nunchucks back into his belt and dipped inside for two smoke pellets. He was on his toes and running as the pellets hit the ground, spreading enough black smoke to give him the two second lead he needed.

His hat flew off his head and he was shrugging out of his trench coat when he spotted the ladder on the fire escape. With a flash of regret for his new comic book, he tossed the coat behind a stack of garbage bins and made a flying leap for the bottom of the ladder, which was a good eight feet overhead.

_"Take that LeBron James,"_ he thought as his hands connected with the metal rung.

The ladder started to slide down with his weight, and Mikey scrambled as fast as he could to the top.

As soon as he hit the first platform, Mikey spun around and began yanking the ladder back up. The Foot flooded the alley; the first one to reach his location made a diving leap at the bottom rung.

"Not today," Mikey crowed as he yanked the ladder out of reach and saw the ninja hit the ground face first.

Wasting no more time, Mikey scrambled up the stairs to the next platform. He knew it wouldn't take long for his pursuers to reach the fire escape and begin to follow him.

Mikey reached the third platform before hearing the clang of multiple feet on metal. He didn't bother to look back but continued to focus on reaching the roof and building up some speed to escape pursuit.

Leaping over the building's ledge, Mikey glanced down for a quick look and saw the fire escape was filled with Foot ninja. A fast check showed him that dislodging the moorings on the fire escape was out of the question, so he started to run.

For a few minutes, Mikey felt elated, sure that he was home free. He dashed across the rooftop and practically sailed across to the next, before the first Foot ninja had even made it to the roof.

His exhilaration soon died. A movement to his left caught the corner of his eye and he glanced over. Several Foot ninja were on top of the next building, pacing him.

"Oh shell," he hissed under his breath and he started to run faster. He began to think that possibly his escape to that ladder might have been part of an elaborate plan to herd him in a particular direction.

Halfway across the third roof, two ninjas jumped out in front of him.

Mikey skid to a halt, his nunchucks neatly leaping into his hands. The first ninja sliced down at him with a katana and Mikey sidestepped away from the sword, turning his body as he moved. Swinging up with a nunchuck, he slammed his weapon into the back of the ninja's skull and was satisfied when the man fell soundlessly in a lifeless heap.

The other ninja rushed at him while Mikey was still turned, but the sound of loose gravel gave him away. Mikey squatted and the ninja's weapon swept over his head. Shifting swiftly to one foot, Mikey lifted the other and planted it squarely in the ninja's chest.

The force behind Mikey's solid leg muscles sent the man flying, and he hit the rooftop several feet away, losing his grip on his katana as he landed. Mikey swarmed over him before he had a chance to rise, and the snap of hard wood against the side of the ninja's temple ensured he wouldn't be getting up.

Mikey started to reach for his shell cell while he had a moment, but a noise behind him interrupted the action. Five Foot ninjas had just landed on the rooftop and were running at him.

"You guys really don't believe in a fair fight, do you?" Mikey asked.

Turning to run, Mikey scooped up a fallen katana and sweeping sideways across his body sent it spinning towards his pursuers. Throwing themselves to the side, four ninjas managed to dodge the flying blade, but the sharp edge caught one across his thigh. With a shriek of pain, the man fell, clutching at his leg as blood squirted from a cut artery.

Knowing they were driving him in a particular direction didn't help the fact that Mikey had no option other than to go with the flow. He tried doubling back, but when he jumped across to a roof on his right and turned back towards his starting point, the skyline was suddenly black with Foot ninjas.

"Not looking too good Mikey," he muttered to himself.

As much as he hated to do it, Mikey turned back to the only opening available to him and ran as fast as he could. It was times like these that made him glad Leo was such a hard ass about training. Running at top speed for long distances was so ingrained into his physique he wasn't even breathing hard.

_"Man, Leo is gonna be pissed at me," _Mikey told himself as he thought of his brother.

Along with that thought was the realization that after an hour had passed, his brothers were going to be looking for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to be anywhere close to the bodega.

That's when he started to think that he might need to begin leaving breadcrumbs to mark his trail. His hat and coat, if they hadn't been picked up by someone, would show Leo where Mikey had gone and that he'd had to take to the roofs. Fallen ninjas or tell-tale blood would lead them over the rooftops.

Leo could track an ant's trail over rocks, so Mikey didn't have to be obvious. Of course, running at full tilt with a pack of bloodthirsty Foot ninja on his tail meant he couldn't be subtle either.

Spotting a row of potted plants on the next rooftop, Mikey changed direction slightly to snag a couple of the heavy clay pots. Spinning around, he continued to run backwards as he flung the pots with unerring accuracy, taking out two more ninjas as both pots crashed to pieces against their skulls.

A sound made him look up and he saw a ninja leaping down at him from atop a storage shed. Flinging himself back, Mikey did a fast handspring to avoid the ninjas kick.

Coming down on all fours, Mikey balanced himself on his hands and swept out with his feet to take the legs out from under the ninja. Before his adversary could get up, Mikey snapped the man's head to the side with a blow from his nunchuck. A loud crack told him that particular Foot ninja wouldn't be getting back up.

Another contingent of ninjas crawled over the building's ledge and spurred Mikey to run again. The mooring line from the water tower of a building too far away to leap to caught his eyes and he darted in that direction.

His sudden move startled a ninja who was directly in Mikey's path. The ninja's bo staff came up and he swung it at Mikey's head. Mikey jerked his head back and dove under the ninja's arms before he could whip the bo back around.

Striking the ninja's body full on, they both went down, Mikey's landing cushioned by his position on top of his adversary. A blow to the jaw with the hard wooden end of Mikey's weapon knocked the ninja out cold.

Mikey jumped up quickly, stepping on the man's body as he grabbed the end of the mooring line. Spinning his nunchuck as hard as he could to increase its velocity, he smashed his weapon against the eye bolt buried into the rooftop.

The bolt lurched sideways, sliding out of the concrete and sending Mikey flying into space, holding the line for dear life as he swung out over the chasm between two very tall buildings.

He was pleased to see that his move had stopped the Foot ninja who were chasing him. His momentary gloat ended though, as soon as he looked ahead.

Waiting on the opposite roof was a large number of ninjas.

Lifting his legs, he tried to put more momentum into his swing so that he could pass over their heads and make a landing behind them. The strategy would have worked too, except for the fact that a ninja had climbed to the top of the water tower and was leveling his katana at the other end of Mikey's line.

"Crap!" Mikey yelled as the line was severed by the quick strike of razor sharp steel.

Feeling the line give way, Mikey used his remaining forward thrust to kick out and then curl his body into a hurtling ball of shell and skin. His heavy plummeting form barreled into the line of waiting ninjas and everyone went down in a pile.

Mikey kept his body tucked tight as he hit, rolling over the softer bodies of the people beneath him. When he felt himself clear the press of ninja flesh, he unfolded his body and gained his feet.

A loud groan next to his leg turned his head and he saw a downed ninja making a grab for his ankle. The man's leg was turned at an unnatural angle, but he was still determined to capture the Turtle. Mikey rewarded his efforts with a well-placed kick to the head.

Nunchucks out and spinning, Mikey clipped the next Foot ninja who darted at him, knocking the man to the ground. Mikey's nunchucks slammed upwards, driving the following ninja's jaw up hard enough to shatter teeth.

Mikey hopped back and turned to run as the group he had plowed into started to rise. He didn't get more than ten feet before another group swarmed over the sides of the building and surrounded him.

Nunchakus twirling, Mikey moved into his fighting stance.

"You guys wouldn't consider a trade would you? I've got this really sweet comic book I can let you have if you'll forget you ever saw me," Mikey offered.

"Funny, funny Turtle," one of the ninjas growled at him and then leaped, katana drawn.

_"At least he remembered not to call me a freak."_ The thought flashed through Michelangelo's head as his nunchucks blocked the oncoming blow.

All at once they rushed him, coming from every direction. Mikey's nunchucks were a blur of whirling orange in a moonlit sky. Every hour of training, every minute of practice, every second of his hard fought existence was put to the test as he battled.

Foot ninjas fell in droves beneath Mikey's onslaught, his skill with the nunchakus beyond anything they'd ever experienced. He leaped, spun, kicked and jumped with the agility of a panther, his body in constant motion, lithe and powerful.

They continued to press in on him, constricting the space he occupied into a small square, restricting his movement as they came in at him. Their strategy was simple and obvious, defeat his greatest strength by taking away his range of mobility.

A hard blow to his head sent Mike reeling, the bright shining lights behind his eyes making him lose his focus briefly. He swung his nunchakus towards the direction of the hit, and was rewarded with a shrill cry as he connected with a body part.

Then something hard punched into his exposed side and a ripping pain swept through his body. Another blow struck his outstretched arm and one of his weapons fell from numb fingers.

Mikey's fist swept around and caught a ninja on the soft part of his neck, crushing the man's larynx. Before he could follow through, two ninjas had grabbed his arm and were pulling it back.

A hard thrust with the end of a bo staff directly into Mikey's plastron forced the air out of the Turtle's lungs and he went down on his knees. His other nunchuck was wrested from his grip and then blow after blow began to rain down on him from all directions.

Mikey swung his free arm out and his fist collided heavily with one ninja's crotch. The shriek as the man collapsed was amazingly rewarding even as his adversaries retaliated with a hard punch to the side of his skull.

"Teach you to mess with the Battle Nexus champ," Mikey managed to quip even as he faded into unconsciousness.

Spool part 4


	4. Chapter 4

Spool  
>part 4<p>

Mikey was jostled awake when the van he was riding in hit a pot hole.

It took him a couple of minutes to remember what had happened to him. When he did, Mikey tried to move only to discover that he was bound hand and foot by ropes pulled so tight they cut into his skin.

He had been tossed face down onto the floor of the vehicle. Besides being uncomfortable, amend that; it was downright _painful_, to add insult to injury the floor smelled of dog poop. Apparently, Foot ninjas weren't trained to wipe their feet after stepping in doggy doo.

The van hit another pothole and Mikey thought, _"At least I know we're still in New York City."_

Some sound must have escaped him, because a ninja said, "The creature is awake."

Another one leaned in close enough so that Mikey could see his eyes. "Enjoying the ride?" he asked sarcastically.

"If we stop for ice cream, make mine a double banana split with caramel and almonds," Mikey retorted.

It earned him a hard kick to his already injured side and Mikey sucked in a painful breath.

_"Gotta learn to keep my mouth shut,"_ he told himself.

Since he had no idea how long he'd been unconscious, Mikey didn't know how far they had travelled from the bodega. Unless this van had a major oil leak, not even Leo was going to be able to follow it.

That's when he remembered his shell cell. He wasn't sure if he still had it, and even if he did, Mikey couldn't reach it. But unless the Foot had found and tossed the phone, Don could still track Mikey.

Mikey held onto that thought like it was a life preserver. He'd lost his 'chucks in the battle and that was depressing enough without thinking about how alone he might possibly be.

He bet Leo was frantic by now. Raph was the one who left for indeterminate lengths of time, not Don or Mikey. If Mike was going to be late he always called, even if it meant getting a lecture over the phone from his brother or his sensei.

The lack of communication would have had Leo pacing the floor for about ten minutes as Don tried to reach Mikey on his shell cell; then all three of his brothers would be out of the door to look for him.

_Damn_. Mikey closed his eyes and let his face touch the floor, oblivious of the smell as his heart sank. Don would have tried to call Mikey's shell cell as soon as his little brother was a minute late. He would keep trying at regular intervals as well, and since Mikey hadn't heard the phone ring, it was a safe bet he didn't have it any longer.

As if on cue, his shell cell rang.

Only it wasn't in Mikey's belt. It was bouncing up and down on the palm of one of the Foot ninja's hands.

"This has been ringing every ten minutes," the ninja told him as a wicked gleam came and went in his eyes. "I think your kin are worried about you."

Mikey lifted his head. "They hate it when I go to parties alone. Why don't we tell them where we're going? I'm sure they'd be happy to meet us there."

The ninja reached down to pat his cheek. "Such a clever creature. Sorry, but you're the only one on the guest list tonight."

"I never thought I'd hate being the guest of honor at anything," Mikey muttered.

The van hit another pothole, jouncing Mikey a half inch off of the floor. He landed with a painful thud, sending what felt like ice shards stabbing into his injured side.

"Dude!" he yelped. "Are you aiming for the potholes?"

"Make the most of the ride, turtle freak. It's going to be your last," the ninja said.

Mikey grimaced but bit back his groan, instead saying, "Did you look that up in a book of clichés?"

"Are you certain the Mistress wanted him kept alive?" the ninja who had kicked him asked.

The one holding his shell cell said, "Yes. Her instructions were very clear."

Mikey's shell cell rang again and he said, "You should really answer that. Ignoring a phone call is just rude."

A streetlight's glare reflected off the knife that suddenly appeared in front of Mikey's face.

"We can at least keep his tongue as a souvenir," the abusive ninja said.

"No," the other ninja said in the sharp tone of authority. "The Mistress wants him to be in one piece when his brothers find him."

_"Oh shell,"_ Mikey thought. Aloud he asked, "So~o, am I bait? You know, for some elaborate Karai plan? 'Cause you should know, her plans usually stink."

With unerring accuracy, the abusive ninja kicked him in his side again.

Mikey dug his forehead into the floor of the van and bit his lip to keep from crying out. If he hadn't managed to acquire a broken rib during the fight, he'd sure as shell talked himself into one now.

Attempting to take his mind off of the pain, Mikey tried to reason out where they could possibly be going. Obviously it wasn't to Foot headquarters because they would have been there by now. Additionally, the conversation between the two ninjas seemed to indicate that Mikey wasn't going to be seeing Karai herself this evening.

Before he had a chance to continue his train of thought, the van stopped.

When the back door opened, Mikey turned his head to look out. He could see the East River and the base of a granite tower.

Mikey was yanked out of the van unceremoniously and dumped onto the ground on his carapace. The impact shocked a yell out of him; the pain in his side so intense he would have curled into a ball but for the fact that several ninjas were holding his legs.

They sliced through the rope that was binding his ankles, and pulled him to his feet. Mikey swayed for a moment, and one of the ninjas grabbed the rope holding his wrists together behind his back, steadying him.

Looking up, Mikey saw they had brought him to the Brooklyn Bridge. His shell cell rang again.

The ninja holding Mikey's phone shot him a malicious look and opened the phone.

_"Mikey? Michelangelo!"_ Leo's voice was harsh with worry and Mikey's heart started to pound.

"Mikey is occupied at the moment," the ninja told the Turtle's leader. "I'm afraid he will not be able to come to the phone for the rest of his life." Without waiting for an answer, he snapped the phone shut.

"Let's go," he ordered the other Foot ninja's.

Two of them grabbed Mikey's elbows and hauled him to the maintenance entrance at the base of the tower. Mikey stared at them in confusion as they unlocked the door and dragged him inside.

Now Mikey had a pounding headache to go along with his busted rib. They were pulling and pushing him up the stairs, obviously heading for the top of the tower, having untied his feet to avoid having to carry him.

If it weren't for the fact that he refused to show them just how injured he was, he would have just sunk down onto the stairwell and gone to sleep. Mikey and his brothers had been hurt enough in their lives for him to realize he had a concussion.

The next door they reached took them to the top of the tower. Out in the open air, one of the ninjas cut the ropes binding Mikey's wrists and then quickly placed the tip of the blade against his neck.

The ninja holding his phone said, "We are going to walk out onto the top of this cable, Turtle freak. If you try anything, you'll buy yourself a fast plunge to your death. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Mikey answered. He didn't add that he was probably going to fall anyway, because he was having a difficult time clearing his vision.

Well, if he went down, he was damn sure gonna take a few of them with him.

Leading him to the top of a turret, Mikey's captors paused while one of them walked over to a large spool of wire rope. Unwinding a length of it, he used his katana to slice the rope loose and then joined his fellows.

Two Foot ninjas preceded Mikey onto the top of the cable, balancing with outstretched arms as they traversed the first ten feet and then stopped. A push on the back of Mikey's carapace told him it was his turn.

Taking a deep breath, Mikey blinked to try to clear his vision and stepped onto the cable. Normally, this would have been a piece of cake to walk across, but with his concussion and the broken rib or ribs, it was all he could do to maintain his balance.

Just before he reached the first two ninjas, they began moving again, taking him farther out along the cable. He heard others behind him, bringing up the rear so he wouldn't attempt to turn and run back.

About fifty feet out the leaders stopped again and didn't move when Mikey reached them. This point seemed to be the end of the line.

"Nice view," Mikey said. "Now what?"

"Now you get to enjoy it forever," one of them said. "Hold your arms out, wrists together."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Mikey muttered as they lashed his wrists together with the end of the wire rope.

The other end was securely tied to the top of the cable and when they were done, Mikey felt a hand on his carapace.

"Bon voyage," the ninja chortled just before shoving Mikey off the cable.

Mikey's eyes snapped shut and he braced himself as his arms jerked upwards, his shoulders nearly pulled out of their sockets as he came to an abrupt stop. The wire rope on his wrists cut into the skin around his leather wrist guards.

Someone pulled on the rope and he felt himself being yanked upwards. Tilting his head, he could see that the Foot ninjas were taking the slack out of the line, winding it around the thick top cable as though returning it to the spool. Mikey almost giggled as he suddenly visualized himself as the little piece of thread that always stuck out of the end.

The ninja who was in charge squatted on the cable and told him, "I've brought something to keep you company."

Another ninja reached across and handed Mikey's nunchakus to the leader and the man chuckled as he saw Mikey's eyes widen.

"Just to complete the picture," the ninja said, draping Mikey's nunchucks over the cable nearby.

Standing up, he told Mikey, "Since your brother Leonardo did not care for the statue of our late Master, the Mistress has decided to erect a monument that he might prefer better."

"Remember how I said her plans stink?" Mikey said. "Well dude, this is the worst one of all. My bro is gonna kill all of you and then Karai as well. You should let me go while you still have a chance."

The shell cell rang again and the ninja pulled it from his belt. He didn't even bother to look at it as he laughed and tossed it into the water.

Just before they left him, one of the other ninjas pulled his bo staff and jabbed Mikey's injured side viciously. There was no way to hide the pain this time; Mikey yelled as the blow shocked his battered system and pure agony rolled over him.

Laboring to catch his breath, Mikey barely heard the ninja leader say, "You won't last long with that internal injury, Turtle. If it's any consolation, I'm sure you'll make front page news when they see your body in the morning."

It wasn't any consolation. He would have preferred to be able to speak to his brothers one last time, especially to Leo. To tell them he loved them and that he was sorry that he'd screwed up.

Try as he might, Mikey could not stop himself from drifting in and out of consciousness. He wasn't as good a doctor as Donatello, but even he knew that once he passed out, he wouldn't be coming back.

Then the tiniest movement caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head to look at the row of Foot ninjas who were still perched on the tower watching him, he saw it again.

A shadowy, turtle shaped figure had shown himself briefly as he crept over the edge of the tower.

Looking towards the maintenance entry, Mikey could just make out the fact that the door was wide open. He knew the Foot had closed it behind themselves when they'd forced Mikey onto the bridge.

Sheer unadulterated joy sang through Mikey's heart. Leo was here!

A surge of adrenaline jolted Mikey awake. He watched as the shadowed figure approached the first Foot ninja in the long line, and then the moon's brightness bounced off the cold steel of a matched pair of katanas.

The ninja never knew what hit him. He managed to cry out shrilly just once as his body was nearly cut in half, and then he toppled over the side of the tower.

His fellow Foot ninjas spun when they heard the cry. The next two in the line didn't even have time to pull their weapons as Leo leaped on them, moving with incredible speed.

Mikey saw Don and Raph spring through the open maintenance door, following Leo's lead across the tower. Leo slipped through several ninjas, going unerringly for their leader, whilst his brothers plunged into the remainder.

The Foot ninja leader's katanas came up to meet Leo's; the clang of steel on steel loud as the wind blew the sound over Mikey. Leo's katanas slid back again and then drove in again with a speed that the other ninja could barely follow.

Sliding backwards, the Foot ninja tried to push against Leo as their swords once more pressed together, but Leo had the leverage and the strength. The Foot ninja started to slide back and quickly gave up that strategy in favor of springing away from Leo.

Another ninja darted up behind Leo and took a swipe at his head while the Turtle leader's back was turned. Hearing the rush of air, Leo ducked and spun on his heel, sweeping around with his katana and slicing the ninja's legs out from under him.

The Foot leader started across the top of the cable, moving towards Mikey. His katanas out, his eyes were focused on the captured Turtle and his intentions were clear.

Raph and Don plowed through the ninjas who were still left on the tower. The power behind Raph's fist sent several plunging to their doom, others he gutted on the end of his sai. Don's bo made short work of those he encountered, a sharp thrust and twist of his steel cable wrists sending them over the edge and into water that felt like concrete from their high altitude.

Mikey watched wide eyed as Leo practically flew across the top of the cable in pursuit of the Foot leader. Before the ninja could reach Mikey, Leo was on him and all the Foot leader could do was turn and raise his katana in defense.

The battle lasted no more than a minute, as Leo's superior skill wrenched the other ninja's swords from his hands and sent them plummeting to the water below.

Trembling, the Foot leader stood completely still as the tip of one of Leo's katanas tasted a droplet of blood from his throat.

"Karai sent you out to deliver a message to me, didn't she?" Leo growled; his eyes narrow, his voice harsh and low.

"Yes," the ninja hissed in return. "You desecrated and dishonored the image of her father."

"Her father had no honor to begin with," Leo told him, "and neither does his daughter. You can deliver a return message from me."

"What is it?" the Foot leader asked.

"This." Leo's wrist flicked suddenly and his katana severed the ninja's carotid artery.

The Foot ninja gurgled and lifted a hand to his throat before he fell.

Swiftly replacing his katanas in their sheaths, Leo stretched out across the cable, plastron down and reached a hand out to touch Mikey's face.

"You okay little bro'?" he asked.

Mikey managed a weak grin. "I am now," he said.

"Hang on and I'll get you off of this," Leo told him.

Mikey chuckled. "Trust me, I'm hanging on."

Raph and Don rushed across the cable to join them, stepping over Leo as they moved to the other side of Mikey. Don reached down and grabbed Mikey's nunchucks, shoving them into his own belt for safekeeping.

"Mikey, how badly are you hurt?" Don asked with concern, seeing the color of Mikey's skin.

"Ribs," Mikey gasped out. "And my head hurts. A lot."

"Concussion?" Don asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Mikey managed to say. He saw Raph straddle the cable and lean over to grip his arm while Leo cut away the wire rope that was holding Mikey in place.

When the rope was off, they both pulled Mikey up to the top of the cable and Leo wrapped two strong arms around his little brother, holding Mikey tightly against his plastron.

Looking up at Don, Leo said, "How much more damage am I going to do by carrying him down?"

Don's face was grave as he answered, "It's not going to help, but there isn't any other choice. I can't assess the injury or even begin to work on it until we get him down from here."

Leo nodded and tipped Mikey's face up to his. "I'm going to drape you over my shoulders in a fireman's carry Mike. It's going to hurt. Stay tough for me, okay?"

Mikey grinned and said, "I can take it if you can."

Leo's kiss was the last thing he remembered.

Sometime later, Mikey woke up.

The screaming pain in his head had been replaced by a dull ache and his ability to take a deep breath was restricted somewhat by the tight bandages wrapped around his middle. His eyes travelled around the room for one entire circuit before his brain registered that he was at home and in the infirmary.

A tapping sound drew his attention and he saw that Don was seated at his desk, typing away on his laptop. Don stopped and looked up when he heard Mikey shift on the bed.

Walking over to his brother, Don asked, "How do you feel, Mikey?"

"Terrific," Mikey lied. "Ready to hop on my skateboard and take a spin through the sewers."

Don patted his arm. "I'm glad you're so energetic," he said, grinning. "How about you take a spin through a bowl of soup first?"

A corner of Mike's mouth lifted. "Okay, that'll work too."

Mikey's eyes drifted shut after Don left the room, then snapped back open at the sound of a gruff voice.

"_Ya' got some serious 'splainin ta do Lucy_," Raph paraphrased from the doorway.

Mikey turned to look at his brother, who was leaning against the doorframe. "Ha, ha very funny," he said.

"Yeah, so was our little adventure coming out ta rescue your butt," Raph said.

Blinking, Mikey asked, "Um, is Leo really, really pissed at me?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Leo said, peering around Raph's shoulder.

They both moved into the room and came to stand next to Mikey's bed.

"Before you say anything," Mikey began, "you were right and I was wrong."

Leo shook his head. "I let you go Mikey, so I have to share the blame. I knew it wasn't safe out there."

"But I wasn't entirely honest with you either," Mikey told him, a look of chagrin marking his face.

"Oh, you mean about this?" Leo said, pulling Mikey's comic book out from behind his back.

Mikey started to sit up, and then thought better of it when a sharp pain welcomed his movement.

Raph's hand came down on his shoulder and held him in place. "We found your coat and your comic book when we went looking for ya', ya' little nut ball."

"I didn't think you'd let me go out if I told you I wanted to buy a comic book," Mikey admitted.

"You're right, I wouldn't have," Leo said. Turning slightly, Leo crawled onto the bed next to Mikey as Raph shifted out of the way.

Surprised by the move, Mikey looked into Leo's eyes and saw nothing but tenderness.

"Aren't you angry?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Leo said honestly. "But you'll be punished later when you're all better. For now I'd rather concentrate on you healing completely."

Mikey sighed as the comforting warmth of Leo's body seeped into him. "I won't ever lie to you again, Leo," he promised. Then in a lower voice, he said, "I'm sorry you had to kill someone."

Leo rubbed his cheek across the top of Mikey's head. "You don't think that's the first person I've killed, do you Mikey?"

Mikey tilted his head up to catch Leo's eyes, his own registering surprise. "It's not?"

"No," Leo whispered. "I hate for you to know I'm capable of that."

"I. . .I guess you know I killed too," Mikey admitted, a hard lump in his throat.

"It ain't realistic ta think it ain't gonna happen, Mikey," Raph said. "Sometimes, it's kill or be killed. Can ya' live with that?"

Mikey thought about it for a minute and realized that he wasn't really dwelling on what he'd done.

"Yeah, I can," he said. "I'd rather avoid it if I can, but I'm not gonna be a willing victim over it either."

"Good," Leo snuggled closer to him, carefully avoiding his bandaged ribs. "So how about we read this comic book while we're waiting for Don to bring you some soup?"

"Really?" Mikey's grin was huge, and so were his eyes as he stared at his big brother with open adoration.

"Sure," Leo said, leaning down to press a kiss to Mikey's mouth. His tongue played lightly across Mikey's before he pulled back.

Mikey opened the comic book and said, "You're gonna love this. See, in the last one this giant alien squid was rampaging through New York. . ."

Raph grinned and took a seat on the next bed, content to listen to Mikey's voice for once.

Leo glanced over and caught his eye, and they both smiled in tranquil agreement. They each had their place in the family, and Mikey was like that spool on top of the tower, keeping the wire in one place.

Without him, they would all unravel.


End file.
